Lifting sling



July 7, 1936. 2,0 17,138

LIFT ING SLING Filed Jan. 21, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 I I 2 I 1 WITNESSES: I N V EN TOR:

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July 7, 1936. FILDES 2,047,138

I LIFTING SLING Filed Jan. 21, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fla 11*.

B m I I N V EN TOR: Fmdarizk K12 31105 Patented July 7, 1936 ED STAT P TENTOFFICE v I 2,047,138 J ,HFTING ,SLING "Frederick K. Fillies, Altoona, Pau'assignor to The Pennsylvania Railroad Company, Philadelqihiajia acorporation of Pennsylvania AppIicationJanuary Z I, 193e, seriainmsoms claims. (ohm-e7) My inventionrelatesto liftingslings for moving railway containers :and demountable truck bodies. I The couplingzand uncoupling of lifting slings isa source of muchloss of time in movin 5 containersand-truckbodies. ItisuhdeSirable to place a workman either on v.tl'lelifting sling .or on the container to.facilitatethecouplingand uncoupling process In-the first.place,:such practice is dangerous to the =workman and in the. second place, a mans weight injure many =lightly constructed containers and truck bodies.

ConsequentlyztheYprimary object of my invention is the provision of a lifting sling which may be coupled and uncoupled with containers and truck bodies without loss of time and without the presence of a workman on the sling or on the container or truck body. Another object is the provision of a lifting sling which to a large extent automatically guides itself into place as it is lowered over the container. Another object is the provision of a lifting sling which couples and uncouples by the simple manipulation of a trip rope or pole by an operator on the ground. Still further objects and advantages will become apparent from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment of my invention, having reference to the accompanying drawings.

Of the drawings,

Fig. I shows a plan view of a lifting sling which is a preferred embodiment of my invention.

Fig. II shows a side view of same.

Fig. III shows an end view of same, from the left.

Fig. IV shows a fragmentary view of a hook engaging link in combination with a hook guide with a closed end, a portion of the frame being indicated in dot-and-dash lines, and

Fig. V shows a fragmentary View of a hook 40 engaging link in combination with a hook guide with an open end, a portion of the frame being indicated in dot-and-dash lines.

For the purposes of a detailed description of the preferred embodiment of my invention, the

45 lifting sling shown in the drawings may be separated into the following principal elements; a suspension means I, a frame 2, four hook engaging links 3 positioned at the corners of the frame 2, and hook guides 4 and 5 associated with the hook 50 engaging links 3. A demountable truck body 6 having hooks I is conventionally and partially indicated to better show the operation of the lifting sling.

The suspension means I is made up of a heavy 55 metal eye It to which are fastened four cable pieces ll,,each= of whicharein-turn connected to a corner of the frame 2. The frame 2 is madeup of longitudinal members Hand transverse members 13 forming the usual recangular frame. The hook engaging .links .3 are .U.-shaped and have 5 formedon oneend an operating armlil which is perpendicular tothe plane of the U shape. These links 3 whichoperate impairs arefastened to the longitudinal .m'embers l2 by; pins II @which function in guideslots22 formed in the longitudinal 10 members 12. In orderto provide a second guide slot. in registry with the guide. slots '22, the hook guides I4 and .5 are de'signedtofit over the-ends of the channel-sections forming the longitudinal members l2 and have formed therein guide slots 23 to be in registry with guide slots 22.

The operating arms extend along the longitudinal members l2 to other guide slots 24 formed in the longitudinal members l2. The ends of the operating arms 20 carry pins 25 which function 20 in these other guide slots 24. Spring elements 3!) tie the ends of the operating arms 20 on each side of the frame 2 to a centrally placed anchoring element 26. The adjacent ends of the operating arms 20 on the same side of the frame 2 are fur- 25 ther connected by a toggle means 21 which is operated by a trip line 28 which is led through a hole in anchoring element 26. Of course, an operating pole having a hooked end could be substituted for the trip line 28 if desired. By oper- 30 ating the toggle means 21 the operating arms 20 on the same side of the frame 2 are forced apart, overcoming the pressure of spring elements 30.

The hook guides 4 and 5 are so placed that the hook engaging links 3 slide in under a portion of them in order to engage the undersides of hooks 1 when the hook guides 4 and 5 are engaging the upper portions of the hooks 1. Each of these hook guides 4 and 5 may be divided into three elements, a bracket portion 33, a horizontal face 34 for resting on top of the hook I, and a side guide face 35 inclined downwardly and outwardly. In addition, the hook guides 5 have a guide face 36 for operating on the outside end of the hook I, and it is curved accordingly.

In operation, the lifting sling is lowered over the truck body 6 while the guide faces 35 position the sling transversely and the curved guide faces 36 position the sling in a longitudinal direction. At this time, the operator is holding the toggle means 21 down and the links 3 out by means of the trip line 28. When the hook guides 4 and 5 come to rest on top of the hooks'l, the operator releases the trip line- 28 and the links 3 snap into engagement with the hooks 1. After the truck body 6 has been moved, the lifting sling is uncoupled instantly, by moving the links 3 to the disengaged position by pulling on the trip line 28 and then hoisting the lifting sling clear of the truck body, continuing to hold the trip line 28 until the sling is clear of the hooks 1. The coupling and uncoupling of sling and truck body is thus accomplished with speed and efiiciency and without the presence of an operator on either the sling or truck body. The sling is strong and sim-- ply made and may be constructed inexpensively. While I have described my invention in detail, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that many changes may be made and other forms adopted without departing from the spirit of my invention as defined in the annexed claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A lifting sling comprising a frame, rigid hook engaging links attached to said frame with capacity for limited substantially'horizontal translation, and a suspension means attached to said frame.

2. A lifting sling comprising a frame, a suspension means, rigid hook engaging links attached to said frame with capacity for limited and substantially horizontal translation; and hook guides attached to the frame for engaging the upper portions of container hooks, said hook engaging links moving under said hook guides in order to engage the underside of said hooks.

3. A lifting sling comprising a frame, a suspension means, hook engaging means attached to said frame with capacity for, substantially horizontal movement, hook guides attached to the frame for engaging the upper portions of container hooks, said hook engaging links moving under said hook guides in order to engage the underside of said hooks, a pressure means for urging said engaging links to one position and an operating means for moving said hook engaging links to the opposite position, said operating means having a.control line operable by an operator on the ground.

4. A lifting sling comprising a frame, a suspension means, hook engaging means attached to said frame with capacity for substantially horizontal movement, hook guides attached to the frame for engaging the upper portions of container hooks, said hook engaging links moving under said hook guides in order to engage the underside of said hooks, a spring urging said hook engaging links to the engaged position and a toggle means for moving said links to the disengaged position, said toggle means being operable by an operator on the ground.

5. A lifting sling according to claim 2 characterized by the further fact that the hook guides at one end of the frame are formed to fit down over the outside of the container hook and that the hook guides at the other end of the frame are completely open at their ends, all of said guides have inclined side guide surfaces for po- 30 sitioning the lifting sling transversely.

FREDERICK K. FILDES. 

